Chapter Nineteen
Luna
The day before had been so much fun. I hadn’t played poker in so long that I was surprised I’d won as much money as I had. The boys had insisted on playing for a little cash, and though I was hesitant at first, I went along with it.
Waking up to the sun shining in my window and Gabriel beside me was even better. He was finally sleeping so soundly that I decided to let him sleep. Sitting up, I realized my body was no longer tender from our sex and though I’d craved more, we’d only kissed and flirted since.
Being as quiet as possible, I tiptoed into the other room to make a fresh pot of coffee and unplugged my phone from the charging station. I needed to call my dad, and I stalled until my coffee brewed and I held a nice hot cup in my hands. I liked the view from the chair in the corner, and so that’s where I parked myself for the next ten minutes as I stalled a bit longer.
Knowing I couldn’t put it off any longer, I pulled up my dad’s profile and hit the call button. I missed him terribly and hoped he wouldn’t be upset me this time.
His hello was rough, as if he’d drank a cup of acid before speaking.
“Dad? Are you okay?”
“I’m good, just woke up.” I should have recognized his sleepy voice, but I’d been so worried about him, I’d automatically thought the worst.
It was good to hear his voice regardless, but I wasn’t sure what to say. A long, painful pause followed as I sipped my coffee.
“Why don’t you let me come and get you? I could bring you back here, and you could stay until this whole thing blows over. The media is already dying down; it’s hard to get any information about it. It was on the news a lot at first, and then again when this other woman was found, but now they’ve gone to the next story.”
“I wish I could, Dad. I’ll be home soon.” I hated that he suggested coming to get me when I knew Gabriel would gladly pay his way, but I didn’t want him there. This was my space away from him, and I wasn’t sure he’d like seeing the situation firsthand.
“You keep promising. Tell me you’re safe.”
“I’m safe. Gabriel owns a security company and has a personal bodyguard.” I laughed to lighten the mood a bit.
“A security company whose cameras blink out when you need them.” His tone was unfair, but I couldn’t hold it against him.
“To be fair, Dad, his company is very reliable, and I’m fine, really.” I had to get him away from the subject. “How are things going at church? Did you write this week’s sermon yet?”
“Church is, as always, wonderful. The youth kids are supposed to be doing a fundraiser for camp, so they’ve got control of the pulpit for Sunday. I’m good with that, given my mood lately. No one likes a grumpy preacher.” No, they didn’t.
“Well, it’s good you get a break. It’s also nice to change it up now and then.”
“The youth pastor asked about you again. He’s a nice man, Luna. Someone you could have a nice time with and isn’t wanted for murder.”
“Are you actually trying to set your wedded daughter up on a date?” I couldn’t help but laugh.
“You said you’re getting the damned thing annulled. Besides, no one here knows about that yet. It’s none of their damned business.”
“I agree, but maybe let this whole thing blow over before setting me up on a date, okay?” I glanced up to see Gabriel had walked into the room. His expression was hard as he headed for the coffee pot.
“You’ll miss out on a good thing if you don’t get back to your normal life.” His voice rose, and I could imagine his eyes hard as he pointed to the floor or paced. It was usually how he lectured me.
“In my normal life, as you put it, you’ve never been so eager to set me up with anyone. And besides, it’s a bit ridiculous to set me up with Roland. He’s been your youth pastor for two years and all of a sudden, he’s boyfriend material.”
“Don’t take that tone with me. I’m concerned.” I had tried very hard to keep a good tone, but his was wearing me thin.
“I have to go eat. I’ll talk to you later.” I ended the call before he could get any more unreasonable or ridiculous.
“Who is Roland?” Gabriel’s hard expression came at a bad time.
“Oh, don’t you start. He’s the youth pastor at my father’s church and my father is just an old man whose concern for his daughter is making him crazy.”
“I’m an old man, and your father’s concern for his daughter is making me jealous. I don’t like him suggesting you date, especially since you’re my wife.” Gabriel stepped into the light of the window and bent down to give me a quick kiss.
When he pulled away, I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face, as if his kiss had branded it there. “Well, when the annulment comes through, who knows what will happen.” I lifted an eyebrow gauging his response.
“I may not give you one.” He met my eyes with the same challenging expression, and I wondered if he still wanted it.
Suddenly, the idea of it seemed to bother me more than I could explain, and I was thankful I didn’t have to. I didn’t want it to be a mistake that we had to fix. I wanted it to be a marriage based on love and mutual respect.
“Time will tell, I suppose.” I sipped my cup to keep him from seeing my frown.
“I’m going to jump in the shower before I order up breakfast. Maybe they’ll get the eggs right again. They were perfect yesterday.” I had the urge to follow when he wandered off to the other room.
Instead, I picked up my phone from my lap and dialed Kim’s number. Being Saturday, she’d have the day off, and I hoped the rest of her week looked promising for a visit.
She answered the phone and the music in the background poured through the phone until she turned it down. “Hey, Lu, tell me some good news.”
“Where do I start?” It felt good to have something sunny to share that wasn’t about the investigation.
“Anywhere. I can tell by the sound of your voice that it’s going to be juicy. Besides, I’m cleaning house and I’ve been at work all week. I’ve got nothing.” Her cleaning explained the loud music: it was her ritual.
“Well, I’m not sure if you’ll like part of it, but I hope you’ll be happy for me.” The lift of my voice gave me away, and through the phone, I heard a gasp.
“You slept with him, didn’t you?” Leave it to her to detect my tone.
“Yes. It was amazing, but not like I’m a walking hormone. God, what have I been missing? It’s like I look at him and bam, I’m ready for him.” And, it wasn’t a lie. My sex drive had kicked into the fast lane.
Hysterical laughter assaulted my ears. “Yes! I’m so excited for you. So was it one time, two? Three? Hey, at least you waited until you were married.”
“It was the one time. We haven’t since, but I’ve been sore up until today.” I could feel the stinging blush on my cheeks and couldn’t believe I was finally having this conversation with my friend.
“Yeah, it gets better, trust me. You need to keep at it. So what is the status of the annulment? Are you two still breaking it off or do you think you’ll stick together?”
I got up and placed my coffee cup on the counter, then turned to lean against it. “I wish I knew. We tease about it a little here and there, and he’s called me his wife a few times… But again, it’s all in fun.”
“Maybe it’s time to have a serious talk? Ask him what he thinks. What could it hurt?” She had a point, but I was afraid of what he’d say.
“Yeah, I know I should, but I don’t know; it’s all so nice now that we’re kissing and getting closer. I don’t want to ruin it.” I imagined myself straddling his lap, his length tight inside me, and found my way back to the chair.
“It will happen naturally in time. Guess there’s no sense in rushing it. Enjoy it while you can and hope for the best.” She was beginning to sound winded, and I remembered she was scrubbing her house. “So, what else you got?”
“Well, the lawyer is going to start pushing for us to be able to come home. He figured he better before Gabriel blew a fortune on a new house here. He was afraid I would go crazy in this hotel room.”
“Wow, husband of the year, right there. Maybe you should stay a while.” She laughed, and I heard dishes rattling in her sink. Sure enough, the sound of water from her faucet followed.
“He wanted me to pick it out, but honestly, it feels too weird spending his money. I mean, it’s a house. It’s not like I’m choosing a new tie for him.” The idea still seemed absurd.
“Right, well, at least he’s concerned.” She turned off the water, and I heard her footsteps on her wooden floor.
“Yeah, he’s concerned all right. He’s even given me another offer, which is why I’ve called. He said I could fly someone out to visit, and of course I would love it if you had time.”
“Wow, really?” Her tone was stuck somewhere between being surprised and uncertainty. “What about the investigation and the media?”
“We’ll get Joe to look after you, but for the most part, the media has died down.”
“Hmm… Who is Joe? Is he hot and single?”
My grin went ear to ear as I answered. “Yes, as a matter of fact, he is. He’s Gabriel’s bodyguard, as well as his driver. Gabe doesn’t go anywhere without him, and you’d like him. He has a daughter he adores.”
“Well, I’ll have to check my days off, but maybe next weekend if you’re still there.”
I squealed with excitement and jumped to my feet. I’d been so afraid she’d say no with all the murder and mayhem. “That would be perfect. Let’s play it by ear and I’ll keep you updated. I hope we can have some fun. I wish I could show you the city, but I doubt that will happen.”
“We’ll have fun. We can pretend it’s a slumber party, or better yet, a double date. We’ll see if Joe is looking for fun.” We shared a giggle and said our goodbyes. It would be a long week of waiting, but at least I’d have something to look forward to.